Russia Ukraine News Highlights | Russia announced a new drawdown of military forces from the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula on Thursday, despite Ukraine's Western allies meeting similar announcements with scepticism.
"Units of the southern military district that ended tactical exercises at training grounds on the Crimean peninsula are returning by rail to their permanent bases," the defence ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
State-run television showed columns of military hardware crossing a recently-constructed bridge connecting the peninsula to the Russian mainland.
Thursday's announcement is the latest reported drawdown of a Russian military force estimated by the West to be more than 100,000 troops, which Washington had said could be preparing to invade.
NATO, the United States and European leaders have denied, however, that there is any meaningful pullback of Russian troops and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow's military personnel were actually rotating.
Russia took control of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and threw its weight behind pro-Moscow separatists in fighting that broke out that year and has claimed more than 14,000 lives.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Separatists in eastern Ukraine say vehicle blown up near their HQ
Russian-backed separatist authorities in eastern Ukraine said on Friday that a parked jeep with nobody inside had been blown up near a government building in the centre of the city of Donetsk.
A news outlet for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic urged residents to remain calm and not to move around the city if possible.
Nobody was reported to have been hurt in the explosion.
A Reuters witness said the jeep had been completely torn apart.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | NATO member Estonia delivers Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine
Estonia delivered U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine on Friday, the Estonian defence ministry said.
"At the moment, these missiles are more useful for Estonia's security in defence of Ukraine rather than at a live fire exercise on an Estonian training area," Lieutenant General Martin Herem, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, said in a statement.
"This is a small step by Estonia in support of Ukraine, but it is a real and tangible contribution to defence against Russian aggression."
The shoulder-operated medium-range missiles guide themselves after launching, allowing the shooter to take cover, according to the ministry.
NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said on Jan. 21 they will provide Ukraine with U.S.-made anti-armour and anti-aircraft missiles, days after receiving clearance from the U.S. State Department to send U.S.-made missiles and other weapons there.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine says world must condemn Russian actions in its east
Ukraine on Friday called on the international community to condemn what it said were provocations by Russia in separatist-held eastern Ukrainian areas, saying that Moscow would only escalate the situation further if it did not.
The Ukrainian government has strongly denied suggestions by Russia that it could launch an offensive in eastern Ukraine, where residents from two self-proclaimed republics received were ordered to evacuate.
"...we are watching the Russian Federation launch a campaign to spread mass disinformation, increase shelling of Ukrainian positions and civilian infrastructure with weapons banned by the Minsk agreements, and escalate the security situation," the foreign ministry's spokesman said in a statement.
"Lack of a proper reaction or a neutral position will only fuel the escalation of the situation by Russia."
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Putin tells Russian government to house people leaving Donbass
President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered the Russian government to house and feed people leaving two self-proclaimed east Ukrainian breakaway republics once they arrived in southern Russia.
Russian-backed separatists announced the sudden surprise evacuation of their regions earlier on Friday, a shock turn in a conflict the West believes Moscow plans to use to justify an all-out invasion of its neighbour.
A Kremlin statement said Putin had ordered the minister responsible for dealing with emergency situations to travel to southern Russia to organise accommodation for what the Kremlin called "refugees from Donbass."
"The president...instructed (the minister) to fly urgently to the region to organise work to create the conditions to house people, provide hot meals and everything needed, including medical care," the statement said.
Putin had also ordered every person who arrived from Donbass to be given a payment of 10,000 roubles ($129), it added.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Gold edges lower as hopes of US-Russia talks calm markets
Gold retreated slightly from the key $1,900-per-ounce level on February 18 as hopes for United States-Russia talks brought some calm to wider markets, but lingering concerns over Ukraine kept bullion on track for a third straight weekly gain.
Spot gold was down 0.1% at $1,895.91 per ounce by 10:12 a.m. ET (1512 GMT), after earlier touching its highest since June 2021 at $1,902.22, en route to a weekly gain of about 1.9%.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | US VP Kamala Harris says Russia must show it is serious about diplomacy
United States Vice President Kamala Harris met NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and leaders from three Baltic nations on Friday and said Russia must show it is open to diplomacy, while warning Moscow of severe consequences if it invades Ukraine.
The Russian defense ministry said earlier in the day that President Vladimir Putin would on Saturday oversee exercises by Russia's nuclear forces involving the launch of ballistic and cruise missiles.
Heralding NATO unity, Harris said "an attack on one is an attack on all," and the United States and its allies were ready to respond with sanctions if Putin decided to invade Ukraine.
"We understand and we have made clear that we remain open to diplomacy. The onus is on Russia at this point, to demonstrate that it is serious in that regard," Harris said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Stocks slide, bonds rise as Ukraine tensions simmer
European shares erased earlier gains and the ruble slipped sharply from a session high after a separatist leader in eastern Ukraine announced the evacuation of his breakaway region's residents to Russia, a shock turn in the crisis.
The dollar rebounded and the safe-haven Swiss franc rose as sentiment that had improved on news late Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken would meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov next week soured.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Western sanctions on Russia may have to deal with unconventional invasion: Official
Russia is ready to invade Ukraine but the Kremlin could use an unconventional attack on its former Soviet neighbour which might require the West to make a swift judgment call on the imposition of Russian sanctions, a senior Western official said.
Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine said on Friday they planned to evacuate their breakaway region's residents to Russia, a stunning turn in a conflict the West believes Moscow could use to justify an invasion of Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | US defense secretary urges de-escalation in call with Russian counterpart: Pentagon
United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Friday and called for de-escalation in the crisis over Ukraine, the Pentagon said. "Austin called for de-escalation, the return of Russian forces surrounding Ukraine to their home bases, and a diplomatic resolution," a Pentagon readout of the call said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Rebels announce evacuation from east Ukraine; West says Russia creates pretext for war
Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine said on Friday they planned to evacuate their breakaway region's residents to Russia, a shock turn in a conflict the West believes Moscow plans to use to justify an all-out invasion of its neighbour.
Announcing the move on social media, Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said Russia had agreed to provide accommodation for those who leave. Women, children and the elderly should be evacuated first. The other self-proclaimed region, Luhansk, made a similar announcement.
Millions of civilians are believed to live in the two rebel-held regions of eastern Ukraine; most are Russian speakers and many have already been granted Russian citizenship.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Putin says Russia must enhance economic sovereignty due to sanctions threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia needed to work on increasing its economic sovereignty and that the West would always find a pretext to impose sanctions on Moscow.
The West has threatened Russia with major sanctions if it invades Ukraine after the Kremlin massed forces near its former Soviet neighbour. Moscow denies planning to invade. Putin made the remark at a news conference in Moscow.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia says sharp increase in shelling in Donbass is alarming
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that weapons prohibited under the Minsk peace process were being used in what he called an alarming and sharp increase in shelling in eastern Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported.
Addressing a news conference in Moscow, Lavrov accused the OSCE special monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine of trying to gloss over ceasefire violations by Ukrainian government forces, Interfax news agency reported.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia sanctions would be tougher than those from 2014, says Polish PM
European nations are preparing sanctions against Russia that will be much harsher than those imposed after the 2014 annexation of Crimea, Poland's prime minister said on Friday.
"We are constructing a package of concrete sanctions, which are to be much stronger than those from 2014," Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference in Brussels broadcast by state-owned news channel TVP.
Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels reported increased shelling in eastern Ukraine for a second straight day on Friday, an escalation that Washington and other Western allies say could form part of a Russian pretext to invade.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | What’s happening on the ground?
US President Joe Biden said at the White House on Thursday that the United States has reason to believe that Russia is engaged in a false flag operation to give it a pretext to invade Ukraine. And there are plenty of hotspots and potential flashpoints around Ukraine that could trigger a full-scale military engagement.
Some are concerned the nearly eight-year-old separatist conflict simmering in eastern Ukraine could provide the needed cover for Moscow. The area saw intensified shelling and apparent cyberattacks over the past two days.
In the strip of land where pro-Russia separatists for years have fought against Ukrainian government forces, a group of international monitors tasked with keeping the peace reported more than 500 explosions in the 24 hours ending Thursday midday.
Early Friday, separatist authorities in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions reported more shelling by Ukrainian forces along the tense line of contact. Ukrainian officials charged that the rebels intensified the shelling in the hopes of provoking a retaliatory attack by government forces.
There have been many escalations, illegal weapons, artillery and more in the past 24 hours, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said Friday.
It is impressive what the Ukrainians have also managed to do, to hold back in relation to the provocations they are exposed to on a daily basis, Denmark's Ekstra Bladet newspaper quoted him as saying.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | WHAT’S GOING ON AT THE KREMLIN RIGHT NOW?
The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin will watch drills involving Russia’s strategic nuclear forces from the situation room at the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Defense Ministry said Putin will personally oversee Saturday's display of his country's nuclear might. Notably, the planned exercise involves the Crimea-based Black Sea Fleet. Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.
Meanwhile, NATO is beefing up its eastern regions.
The United States has begun deploying 5,000 troops to Poland and Romania. Britain is sending hundreds of soldiers to Poland and offering more warships and planes. It also is doubling the number of personnel in Estonia and sending tanks and armoured fighting vehicles. Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway are sending additional troops to Lithuania.
And the Biden administration announced Friday it has approved a $6 billion sale of 250 Abrams battle tanks and related equipment to Poland.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates |
It would be "catastrophic" if the Russia-Ukraine crisis escalated into a war, UN chief Antonio Guterres told the opening ceremony of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, which Moscow is not attending this year
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates |
Russia's ambassador to Britain touted Finland or Geneva as potential hosts for a meeting between Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week, Interfax news agency reported. The pair have held a series of meetings and phone calls in the course of the Ukraine crisis, without achieving any diplomatic breakthrough.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | US announces Abrams tanks for Poland as Russia threat mounts
United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday the planned sale of 250 Abrams tanks to Poland, as Washington moves to strengthen the defenses of a key eastern European ally amid a mounting threat of war between neighboring Ukraine and Russia.
Austin made the announcement during a trip to Warsaw, where Polish leaders have been alarmed by the deployment of thousands of Russianforces in neighboring Belarus, part of a massive Russian buildup around Ukraine that NATO says positions Moscow for an invasion. Russia denies plans to invade.
"Some ofthose forces(are) within200 milesofthePolish border," Austin said.
"IfRussia further invades Ukraine, Poland could seetens ofthousands of displaced Ukrainians and others flowing across its border, trying to save themselves and their families from the scourge of war."
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Alarm as east Ukraine shelling enters second day
Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels reported increased shelling in eastern Ukraine for a second straight day on Friday, an escalation that Washington and other Western allies say could form part of a Russian pretext to invade.
Russia denies Western accusations that it is planning an invasion and has said this week it is drawing down forces massed near Ukraine. Western countries say they believe the opposite: more equipment and personnel are arriving and making the sort of preparations normally seen in the final days before an attack.
Financial markets, on edge over the prospect of a major war in Europe, took some comfort from an announcement overnight that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had agreed to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov next week - provided Russia has not invaded first.
A marked escalation of shelling in eastern Ukraine, where government troops have faced Moscow-backed rebels for eight years, has stoked global alarm since Thursday.
Both sides have said shelling stepped up dramatically over the past 48 hours, although so far no deaths have been reported.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates |
German ambassador to US Emily Haber says: “Ukraine has the sovereign right to seek NATO membership, to choose its course. We will not guarantee otherwise to Russia.”
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Gold slips on prospect of U.S.-Russia talks over Ukraine
Gold prices slipped from the key $1,900 level on Friday, as a potential Russia-U.S. meeting next week cooled safe-haven demand that was fuelled by the Ukraine standoff, but the crisis has set bullion up for a third straight weekly gain.
Spot gold fell 0.3% to $1,891.72 per ounce, as of 0725 GMT, after touching its highest in eight months at $1,902.22 earlier in the session. The metal on Thursday rose above $1,900 for the first time since June, as investors rushed to the safety of bullion after Ukraine tensions heightened.
U.S. gold futures dropped 0.5% to $1,893.20.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Lukashenko arrives for talks with Putin on Russian force presence
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko landed in Moscow on Friday for talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin that Minsk said could determine how much longer Russian military forces remain in the ex-Soviet republic north of Ukraine.
Russia's joint war games in Belarus, which are meant to run until Sunday, have added to Western fears that Moscow could launch an attack on Ukraine, which shares borders with both countries.
Russia denies any plan to invade. Both Minsk and Moscow have said the Russian forces - Moscow's biggest deployment in Belarus since the end of the Cold War, according to NATO - will leave when the drills are over.
But Lukashenko's rhetoric has since opened up the possibility that the forces, which are part of a wider Russian buildup to the north, east and south of Ukraine, could actually stay longer.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Reference to Ukraine crisis at G20 summit vetoed by Russia, China: Report
Finance leaders from the Group of 20 major economies were set on Friday to agree that rising inflation and geopolitical risks could threaten a fragile global recovery, as the crisis in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic's fallout cloud the outlook.
But a draft final communique seen by Reuters contained no direct mention of Western concerns that Russia might invade Ukraine, with one source at the talks saying even a reference to "current" tensions had been vetoed by Russia and China.
In a draft text seen by Reuters, the finance chiefs from the world's leading economies pledged to use "all available policy tools to address the impacts of the pandemic," while warning that future policy space was likely to be "narrower and uneven."
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia to stage massive nuclear drills amid Ukraine standoff
The Russian military on Friday announced massive drills of its strategic forces, a stark reminder of the country's nuclear might amid Western fears that Moscow might be preparing to invade Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry said Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally oversee Saturday's exercise, which will involve multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
The ministry said it planned the maneuvers some time ago to check the readiness of Russia's military command and personnel, as well as the reliability of its nuclear and conventional weapons.
The war games follow U.S. President Joe Biden's warning on Thursday that Russia could invade Ukraine within days.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Vladimir Putin to oversee Russian 'strategic' missile drills
President Vladimir Putin will oversee military drills involving Russian "strategic forces", news agencies said Friday, which will include ballistic and cruise missile launches. "On February 19, 2022, under the leadership of the supreme commander-in-chief of Russia's armed forces, Vladimir Putin, a planned exercise of strategic deterrence forces will be held, during which ballistic and cruise missiles will be launched," the defence ministry said in a statement carried by news agencies.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia welcomes India's position on Ukraine situation
Russia on Friday welcomed India's position on the Ukraine crisis, amid spike in tensions between the NATO countries and Moscow over the situation in the eastern European nation. The reaction came a day after India said at the UN Security Council that "quiet and constructive diplomacy" is the need of the hour and that any step that could escalate the tension should be avoided.
"We welcome #India's balanced, principled and independent approach," the Russian embassy in India tweeted. At a meeting of the UN Security Council on the Ukraine situation, India's Permanent Representative to the UN T S Tirumurti on Thursday pitched for immediate de-escalation of the situation. In Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi too said that India has been supportive of an immediate de-escalation of tensions and resolution of the situation through sustained diplomatic dialogue.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday set up a control room to provide information and assistance to Indian nationals in Ukraine. In addition, the Indian embassy in Ukraine has also set up a 24-hour helpline for Indians in the eastern European nation. Russia has positioned around 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine besides sending warships to the Black Sea for naval exercises, triggering concerns among the NATO countries about a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia has been denying that it plans to invade Ukraine. Russia has been denying that it plans to invade Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Indian markets erased all the gains and turned volatile as investors weighed the crisis over Ukraine and the possibility that Iran’s nuclear deal may be revived.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Moscow says Vladimir Putin to oversee 'strategic' missile drills
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia announces new drills involving 'strategic forces' Saturday
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Germany accuses Russia of 'Cold War demands' before security conference
Germany accused Russia on Friday of endangering Europe's security with demands that recall the Cold War, as Western leaders arrived for a Munich Security Conference set to be dominated by the Ukraine crisis. Fears are growing in the West that Russia is on the verge of invading its neighbour, with the United States warning of a possible attack in the "coming days".
Ahead of the annual, three-day conference's opening ceremony, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Moscow needed to show "serious steps towards de-escalation". "With an unprecedented deployment of troops on the border with Ukraine and Cold War demands, Russia is challenging fundamental principles of the European peace order," Baerbock said in a statement.
Russian troops have all but encircled Ukraine during the Kremlin's stand-off with the West over NATO's expansion into eastern Europe. Before travelling to Munich, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations to expect an offensive in the "coming days", likely preceded by a pretext to justify military action.Some feared such a moment had arrived on Thursday, when a spike in shellings on the front line damaged an eastern Ukrainian kindergarten and Russian-backed separatists blamed Kyiv for escalating hostilities.
Russia has denied any invasion plans. But the Kremlin has also said it could be forced to respond militarily if Washington does not meet certain security demands. Moscow has so far declined to attend the Munich gathering, but the United States said Blinken would meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov next week -- provided no invasion had occurred before then. "It is a loss that Russia is not taking advantage of this opportunity," Baerbock said. She added that the conference offered a chance "to discuss how we can still counter the logic of threats of violence and military escalation with the logic of dialogue".
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine rebels say govt forces shelled them again
Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine accused Kyiv government forces of firing artillery and mortars in three incidents on Friday, the Interfax news agency reported. Kyiv and the rebels blamed each other for escalating tensions after artillery and mortar attacks on Thursday, prompting fears that Russia, which has massed over 100,000 troops near Ukrane's borders, could get involved.
The Kremlin said on Thursday it was "deeply concerned" with the flare-up in Ukraine and was watching the situation closely. The United States said Russia was looking for a pretext for war. According to the Interfax report, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic said the shelling targeted the Petrivske village in the breakaway region at 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT). Another self-proclaimed rebel republic, Luhansk, reported two incidents of mortar fire on Friday morning.
Kyiv and the pro-Russian separatists have been at war for eight years and the ceasefire between the sides is routinely violated, but the intensity of fighting increased notably this week. Russia's lower house of parliament voted this week to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognise the two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, while the European Union told Moscow not to follow through.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | UN council backs talk, but no Russia pledge against invasion
One by one, U.N. Security Council members called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine. Even Russia’s deputy foreign minister said everything should be done to find a diplomatic solution. But he didn’t respond to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s appeal to state unequivocally that Russia will not invade Ukraine.
So what Blinken called the most immediate threat to international peace and security in the world today remains, with all eyes still on Russia. The annual Security Council meeting was called by Russia to focus on implementation of the Minsk Agreements aimed at restoring peace to eastern Ukraine where Russian-backed separatist have been at war with government troops since Moscow’s invasion of Crimea in 2014.
The open session brought together all the key players who now confront broader security grievances from Moscow: It is demanding a NATO ban on Ukraine joining the alliance, which its members say is impossible. Blinken, alluding to a speech to the Security Council by his predecessor Colin Powell in 2003 laying out purported U.S. evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction ahead of the American invasion which turned out to be erroneous, told council members he wanted to be clear: “I am here today not to start a war, but to prevent one.”
But Blinken said U.S. information indicates that the more than 150,000 troops Russia has amassed around Ukraine “are preparing to launch an attack against Ukraine in the coming days.”
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | US Senate approves resolution for Ukraine, warning Russia
The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to show unwavering support for an independent Ukraine and “condemn" Russian military aggression toward its neighbor as fresh fears emerged of a possible invasion that could spiral toward a European war. Action in the Senate came after President Joe Biden said the U.S. has “every indication" of a potential Russian attack on Ukraine in a matter of days. U.S. officials have outlined stark scenarios of President Vladimir Putin's potential plans as Russian troops remain massed at the Ukraine border.
The resolution from the senators does not carry the force of law but puts the U.S. legislative body on record with “unwavering United States support for a secure, democratic, and independent Ukraine” and “denounces the Russian military buildup" on Ukraine’s border. The vote was unanimous, without objection or the formal roll call. “This Congress is united in its support of Ukrainian independence and sovereignty," said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, in introducing the measure with Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and others.
Senators have been racing all week to mount a response to rising tensions in the region, many eager to go even further by imposing devastating sanctions on Putin that would send shockwaves through the Russian economy. Ukraine has strong allies in the Senate, where there is broad support for sanctions on Russia as a powerful foreign policy tool to be used if Putin furthers his aggression toward Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine legalises cryptocurrencies amid soaring tensions with Russia
Ukraine legalised cryptocurrencies on Thursday even as its tensions with Russia have roiled global markets in the past week due to global concerns over the prospect of a wider war, with more than 100,000 Russian troops near the Ukrainian frontier. "Ukraine is already in top-5 countries on cryptocurrency usage. Today we made one more step forward: Parliament adopted law on virtual assets! This will legalize crypto exchangers and cryptocurrencies, and Ukrainians could protect their assets from possible abuse or fraud," said Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Twitter.
Bitcoin donations have soared to Ukrainian volunteer and hacking groups, some of which have supplied equipment to government forces, according to a report showing such groups received more than $550,000 worth of cryptocurrency in 2021. The report, published by blockchain researcher Elliptic, suggests digital currencies are growing in importance as a funding method for volunteer groups backing Ukraine's government as fears of an attack by Russian troops massed near its border grow. Moscow denies planning an attack. Cryptocurrency worth just $6,000 was raised by the groups in 2020, Elliptic said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine crisis takes centre stage at Munich Security Conference
World leaders converge this weekend on Germany for the annual Munich Security Conference which will be dominated by the Ukraine crisis as major Western powers warn the Kremlin looks close to launching an invasion of the former Soviet state. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will be among the dignitaries attending the three-day event, known as "Davos for defence", which kicks off on Friday at the luxurious Bayerischer Hof hotel in Munich.
No Russian delegation will attend the conference, the Kremlin said last week - the first no-show in years, underscoring how much East-West relations have deteriorated. Even at the height of the Ukrainian revolution preceding Russia's annexation of Crimea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the forum had increasingly become biased towards the West, "losing its inclusivity, objectivity".
Daniela Schwarzer, a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, said: "Russia has limited interest in dialogue and in particular an open conversation about security in Europe. "The conference is an occasion for the political West to show unity vis-a-vis Russia and vis-a-vis authoritarian regimes more generally," said Schwarzer, who is attending the event.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday there was now every indication Russia was planning to invade Ukraine in the next few days and was preparing a pretext to justify it, after Ukrainian forces and pro-Moscow rebels traded fire in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin accused him of stoking tensions and threatened unspecified "military-technical measures". Schwarzer noted that the conference, while scaled back compared to pre-pandemic ones, would be the first physical meeting of the international security and foreign policy community in two years. In-person conversations were key to "building trust", she said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Tokyo stocks end lower as concerns over Ukraine
Tokyo stocks ended lower Friday as concerns over Ukraine gripped investors despite Washington's announcement that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accepted an invitation to meet his Russian counterpart. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index dropped 0.41 percent, or 110.80 points, to 27,122.07 while the broader Topix index lost 0.36 percent, or 6.93 points, to 1,924.31
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Germany accuses Russia of 'Cold War demands' before security conference
Germany accused Russia on Friday of endangering Europe's security with demands that recall the Cold War, as Western leaders arrived for a Munich Security Conference set to be dominated by the Ukraine crisis. Fears are growing in the West that Russia is on the verge of invading its neighbour, with the United States warning of a possible attack in the "coming days".
Ahead of the annual, three-day conference's opening ceremony, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Moscow needed to show "serious steps towards de-escalation". "With an unprecedented deployment of troops on the border with Ukraine and Cold War demands, Russia is challenging fundamental principles of the European peace order," Baerbock said in a statement.
Russian troops have all but encircled Ukraine during the Kremlin's stand-off with the West over NATO's expansion into eastern Europe. Before travelling to Munich, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations to expect an offensive in the "coming days", likely preceded by a pretext to justify military action.Some feared such a moment had arrived on Thursday, when a spike in shellings on the front line damaged an eastern Ukrainian kindergarten and Russian-backed separatists blamed Kyiv for escalating hostilities.
Russia has denied any invasion plans. But the Kremlin has also said it could be forced to respond militarily if Washington does not meet certain security demands. Moscow has so far declined to attend the Munich gathering, but the United States said Blinken would meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov next week -- provided no invasion had occurred before then. "It is a loss that Russia is not taking advantage of this opportunity," Baerbock said. She added that the conference offered a chance "to discuss how we can still counter the logic of threats of violence and military escalation with the logic of dialogue".
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine rebels say govt forces shelled them again
Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine accused Kyiv government forces of firing artillery and mortars in three incidents on Friday, the Interfax news agency reported. Kyiv and the rebels blamed each other for escalating tensions after artillery and mortar attacks on Thursday, prompting fears that Russia, which has massed over 100,000 troops near Ukrane's borders, could get involved.
The Kremlin said on Thursday it was "deeply concerned" with the flare-up in Ukraine and was watching the situation closely. The United States said Russia was looking for a pretext for war. According to the Interfax report, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic said the shelling targeted the Petrivske village in the breakaway region at 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT). Another self-proclaimed rebel republic, Luhansk, reported two incidents of mortar fire on Friday morning.
Kyiv and the pro-Russian separatists have been at war for eight years and the ceasefire between the sides is routinely violated, but the intensity of fighting increased notably this week. Russia's lower house of parliament voted this week to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognise the two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, while the European Union told Moscow not to follow through.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukrainian Ambassador to UN Kyslytsya warns Russia of 'consolidated' response by international community
Russia has a choice to embark on the path of de-escalation and diplomatic dialogue or experience a decisive consolidated response by the international community. Ukraine wants peace, security, and stability not only for itself but also for the entire Europe. At the same time, I reiterate that in the event of Russia opting for escalation Ukraine will defend itself: Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukrainian Ambassador to UN at UNSC meeting on Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | UN council backs talk, but no Russia pledge against invasion
One by one, U.N. Security Council members called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine. Even Russia’s deputy foreign minister said everything should be done to find a diplomatic solution. But he didn’t respond to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s appeal to state unequivocally that Russia will not invade Ukraine.
So what Blinken called the most immediate threat to international peace and security in the world today remains, with all eyes still on Russia. The annual Security Council meeting was called by Russia to focus on implementation of the Minsk Agreements aimed at restoring peace to eastern Ukraine where Russian-backed separatist have been at war with government troops since Moscow’s invasion of Crimea in 2014.
The open session brought together all the key players who now confront broader security grievances from Moscow: It is demanding a NATO ban on Ukraine joining the alliance, which its members say is impossible. Blinken, alluding to a speech to the Security Council by his predecessor Colin Powell in 2003 laying out purported U.S. evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction ahead of the American invasion which turned out to be erroneous, told council members he wanted to be clear: “I am here today not to start a war, but to prevent one.”
But Blinken said U.S. information indicates that the more than 150,000 troops Russia has amassed around Ukraine “are preparing to launch an attack against Ukraine in the coming days.”
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | US Senate approves resolution for Ukraine, warning Russia
The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to show unwavering support for an independent Ukraine and “condemn" Russian military aggression toward its neighbor as fresh fears emerged of a possible invasion that could spiral toward a European war. Action in the Senate came after President Joe Biden said the U.S. has “every indication" of a potential Russian attack on Ukraine in a matter of days. U.S. officials have outlined stark scenarios of President Vladimir Putin's potential plans as Russian troops remain massed at the Ukraine border.
The resolution from the senators does not carry the force of law but puts the U.S. legislative body on record with “unwavering United States support for a secure, democratic, and independent Ukraine” and “denounces the Russian military buildup" on Ukraine’s border. The vote was unanimous, without objection or the formal roll call. “This Congress is united in its support of Ukrainian independence and sovereignty," said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, in introducing the measure with Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and others.
Senators have been racing all week to mount a response to rising tensions in the region, many eager to go even further by imposing devastating sanctions on Putin that would send shockwaves through the Russian economy. Ukraine has strong allies in the Senate, where there is broad support for sanctions on Russia as a powerful foreign policy tool to be used if Putin furthers his aggression toward Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine legalises cryptocurrencies amid soaring tensions with Russia
Ukraine legalised cryptocurrencies on Thursday even as its tensions with Russia have roiled global markets in the past week due to global concerns over the prospect of a wider war, with more than 100,000 Russian troops near the Ukrainian frontier. "Ukraine is already in top-5 countries on cryptocurrency usage. Today we made one more step forward: Parliament adopted law on virtual assets! This will legalize crypto exchangers and cryptocurrencies, and Ukrainians could protect their assets from possible abuse or fraud," said Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Twitter.
Bitcoin donations have soared to Ukrainian volunteer and hacking groups, some of which have supplied equipment to government forces, according to a report showing such groups received more than $550,000 worth of cryptocurrency in 2021. The report, published by blockchain researcher Elliptic, suggests digital currencies are growing in importance as a funding method for volunteer groups backing Ukraine's government as fears of an attack by Russian troops massed near its border grow. Moscow denies planning an attack. Cryptocurrency worth just $6,000 was raised by the groups in 2020, Elliptic said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | What Vladimir Putin wants versus what Joe Biden wants. Hint: It’s not all about Ukraine
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Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russian threat to invade Ukraine still 'very high': Joe Biden
Fears of a new war in Europe resurged Thursday as U.S. President Joe Biden warned that Russia could invade Ukraine within days, and violence spiked in a long-running standoff in eastern Ukraine that some worried could provide the spark for wider conflict.
World dignitaries raced for solutions, but suspicions between East and West only seemed to grow, as NATO allies rejected Russian assertions it was pulling back troops from exercises that had fueled fears of an attack. Russia is believed to have built up some 150,000 military forces around Ukraine’s borders.
Concerns escalated in the West over what exactly Russia is doing with those troops, which included an estimated 60% of Russia's overall ground forces. The Kremlin insists it has no plans to invade, but it has long considered Ukraine part of its sphere of influence and NATO's eastward expansion an existential threat.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia risking European peace with 'Cold War demands': German FM Annalena Baerbock
Russia is putting Europe's security at risk with demands that hark back to the Cold War, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Friday, ahead of the annual Munich Security Conference set to be dominated by the Ukraine crisis. "With an unprecedented deployment of troops on the border with Ukraine and Cold War demands, Russia is challenging fundamental principles of the European peace order," Baerbock said in a statement, urging Moscow to show "serious steps towards de-escalation".
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | G7 nations 'ready for serious dialogue' with Russia on Ukraine: Germany
The Group of Seven most developed nations are prepared to have "a serious dialogue" with Russia on the Ukraine crisis, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Friday, on the eve of crunch talks in Munich with her G7 counterparts.
"We will use Munich to send out a message of unity: we are ready for a serious dialogue on security for all," Baerbock said in a statement. Russia is not scheduled to attend the annual Munich Security Conference, which opens Friday and runs until Sunday.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukrainian Ambassador to UN Kyslytsya warns Russia of 'consolidated' response by international community
Russia has a choice to embark on the path of de-escalation and diplomatic dialogue or experience a decisive consolidated response by the international community. Ukraine wants peace, security, and stability not only for itself but also for the entire Europe. At the same time, I reiterate that in the event of Russia opting for escalation Ukraine will defend itself: Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukrainian Ambassador to UN at UNSC meeting on Ukraine
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | US challenges Russia to step back from Ukraine attack
The United States said Thursday that Russia is on the verge of unleashing a massive military attack against Ukraine, dismissing Moscow's claim to be pulling forces back, as artillery fire hit a Ukrainian kindergarten.
In a dramatic, previously unscheduled speech to the United Nations in New York, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said intelligence showed Moscow could order an assault on its neighbor in the "coming days."
With US and other Western governments saying they see no evidence of Russia's claim to be withdrawing, Blinken challenged the Kremlin to "announce today with no qualification, equivocation or deflection that Russia will not invade Ukraine."
"Demonstrate it by sending your troops, your tanks, your planes, back to their barracks and hangers," he said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Upates | How much oil, gas and coal India imports from Russia
As the Ukraine-Russia crisis intensifies and threatens to spark conflict in Europe, analysts warn there may be implications for Asia, where several countries depend on Russia for oil, gas and coal. Any invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops could trigger sanctions and reprisals that would disrupt the movement of fuels and impact energy security affecting buyers even thousands of miles away, analysts warned.
INDIA
India imported 1.8 million tonnes of thermal coal from Russia in 2021, down from 2.5 million in 2020, data from Iman Resources showed. Russia's share in India's thermal coal imports fell to 1.3% in 2021 from 1.6%. India imported 43,400 bpd oil from Russia in 2021, about 1% of overall its imports. India accounts for about 0.2% Russia's natural gas exports. GAIL (India) Ltd has a 20-year deal with Gazprom to buy 2.5 million tonnes of LNG a year which started in 2018.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Upates | UN council backs talk, but no Russia pledge against invasion
One by one, U.N. Security Council members called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine. Even Russia’s deputy foreign minister said everything should be done to find a diplomatic solution. But he didn’t respond to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s appeal to state unequivocally that Russia will not invade Ukraine.
So what Blinken called the most immediate threat to international peace and security in the world today remains, with all eyes still on Russia. The annual Security Council meeting was called by Russia to focus on implementation of the Minsk Agreements aimed at restoring peace to eastern Ukraine where Russian-backed separatist have been at war with government troops since Moscow’s invasion of Crimea in 2014.
The open session brought together all the key players who now confront broader security grievances from Moscow: It is demanding a NATO ban on Ukraine joining the alliance, which its members say is impossible. Blinken, alluding to a speech to the Security Council by his predecessor Colin Powell in 2003 laying out purported U.S. evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction ahead of the American invasion which turned out to be erroneous, told council members he wanted to be clear: “I am here today not to start a war, but to prevent one.”
But Blinken said U.S. information indicates that the more than 150,000 troops Russia has amassed around Ukraine “are preparing to launch an attack against Ukraine in the coming days.”
